Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus includes a base plate with a two-pronged portion, a holding plate arranged above the base plate, a driving portion provided therebetween, a holding portion formed by a tip end of the two-pronged portion and a tip end of the holding plate, and a guide portion provided at the tip end of the two-pronged portion for guiding a part of the substrate. The driving portion includes an urging means for always urging a basal end side of the holding plate upward, an electric magnetic portion for drawing the holding plate toward the base plate, and a bearing portion arranged at on the tip end side of the base plate. The guide portion has a guide groove which comes into contact with a part of a periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a target substrate includes a process container configured to accommodate the target substrate and to reduce pressure therein. A first electrode is disposed within the process container. A supply system is configured to supply a process gas into the process container. An electric field formation system is configured to form an RF electric field within the process container so as to generate plasma of the process gas. A number of protrusions are discretely disposed on a main surface of the first electrode and protrude toward a space where the plasma is generated.

Abstract: Provided is a defect inspection apparatus and an inspection (or evaluation) method with highly improved accuracy, which would not be provided by the prior art, in the defect inspection apparatus used in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. Provided is a method for inspecting a sample surface with a projection type electron beam inspection apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming such an irradiation area on the sample surface by an electron beam generated from an electron gun 21 that has approximately a circular or elliptical shape of a size larger than a pattern on the sample surface; irradiating the electron beam substantially onto a center of the pattern on the sample surface; and forming an image on an electron detection plane of a detector from secondary electrons emanating from the sample surface in response to the irradiation of the electron beam for inspecting the sample surface.

Abstract: An opening 22d of a supply/withdrawal passage 22b is positioned at the center part of the internal wall surface 22c of the operating chamber 26 (concave area 22a), and a pin 24 that protrudes toward the diaphragm 23 is provided in a position that is offset from the center of the wall surface 22c. When the diaphragm 23 is deformed toward the operating chamber 26 by the suction of an operation air into the operating chamber 26 during drawing in the chemical liquid, a part of the diaphragm 23 opposing to the pin 24 rides on the pin 24 and this part becomes a slightly convex shape toward the pump chamber 25. When the operation air is supplied from the opening 22d into the operating chamber 26 during the discharge of the chemical liquid, the deformation begins first from the part of the diaphragm 23 riding on the pin 24.

Abstract: A multichip semiconductor device is disclosed in which chips are stacked each of which comprises a semiconductor substrate formed on top with circuit components and an interlayer insulating film formed on the top of the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the chips has a connect plug of a metal formed in a through hole that passes through the semiconductor substrate and the interlayer insulating film. The chip with the connect plug is electrically connected with another chip by that connect plug.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a target substrate includes a process container configured to accommodate the target substrate and to reduce pressure therein. A first electrode is disposed within the process container. A supply system is configured to supply a process gas into the process container. An electric field formation system is configured to form an RF electric field within the process container so as to generate plasma of the process gas. A number of protrusions are discretely disposed on a main surface of the first electrode and protrude toward a space where the plasma is generated.

Abstract: A target for X-ray generation has a substrate and a target portion. The substrate is comprised of diamond and has a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposed to each other. A bottomed hole is formed from the first principal surface side in the substrate. The target portion is comprised of a metal deposited from a bottom surface of the hole toward the first principal surface. An entire side surface of the target portion is in close contact with an inside surface of the hole.

Abstract: There is disclosed a film forming method comprising continuously discharging a solution adjusted so as to spread over a substrate by a given amount to the substrate through a discharge port disposed in a nozzle, moving the nozzle and substrate with respect to each other, and holding the supplied solution onto the substrate to form a liquid film, wherein a distance h between the discharge port of the nozzle and the substrate is set to be not less than 2 mm and to be in a range less than 5×10?5 q? (mm) given with respect to a surface tension ? (N/m) of the solution, discharge speed q (m/sec) of the solution continuously discharged through the discharge port, and a constant of 5×10?5 (m·sec/N).

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed which includes active section 100, edge termination section 110 having a voltage blocking structure and disposed around active section 100, and separation section 120 having a device separation structure and disposed around edge termination section 110. A surface device structure is formed on the first major surface of active section 100, trench 23 is formed in separation section 120 from the second major surface side, and p+-type separation region 24 is formed on the side wall of trench 23 such that p+-type separation region 24 is in contact with p-type channel stopper region 21 formed in the surface portion on the first major surface side and p-type collector layer 9 formed in the surface portion on the second major surface side. The semiconductor device and the method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to the invention facilitate preventing the reverse blocking voltage from decreasing and shorten the manufacturing time of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: The present invention is a transfer mask for exposure comprising a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in. When one side of the plurality of cells is exposed to a charged particle beam, each of the plurality of cells is adapted to make the charged particle beam pass through itself to the other side thereof based on the pattern of the opening formed in the cell. Thus, when a substrate to be processed is arranged on the other side of the cell, the pattern of the opening formed in the cell is transferred to the substrate to be processed and hence an exposure pattern is formed on the substrate to be processed. The feature of the present invention is that a part of or all the plurality of cells can be exchanged at the mask portion.

Abstract: Provided are a magnetic encoder apparatus, which can accurately perform angle detection, wherein at very accurate positions, magnetic field detection elements are mounted on a fixed member, and wherein the positions of the magnetic field detection elements are little changed due to temperature, and a method for manufacturing the magnetic encoder apparatus. Conductive pads (32) are formed, using an insulating material as a base, on the four side faces of a fixed member (3) having a shape that is substantially a right square prism. Magnetic field detection elements (4) are mounted on these pads (32). A cylindrical space (28) is formed in the center of the fixed member (3), and when a permanent magnet (2) fixed to a rotary member (1) is rotated in the space (28), the magnetic field detection elements (4) output signals, with a small phase error between them. A signal processing circuit (not shown) converts these output signals into angular signals.

Abstract: A multichip semiconductor device is disclosed in which chips are stacked each of which comprises a semiconductor substrate formed on top with circuit components and an interlayer insulating film formed on the top of the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the chips has a connect plug of a metal formed in a through hole that passes through the semiconductor substrate and the interlayer insulating film. The chip with the connect plug is electrically connected with another chip by that connect plug.

Abstract: There is disclosed a film forming method comprising continuously discharging a solution adjusted so as to spread over a substrate by a given amount to the substrate through a discharge port disposed in a nozzle, moving the nozzle and substrate with respect to each other, and holding the supplied solution onto the substrate to form a liquid film, wherein a distance h between the discharge port of the nozzle and the substrate is set to be not less than 2 mm and to be in a range less than 5×10?5 q? (mm) given with respect to a surface tension ? (N/m) of the solution, discharge speed q (m/sec) of the solution continuously discharged through the discharge port, and a constant of 5×10?5 (m·sec/N).

Abstract: A developing apparatus has a substrate holder to hold a substrate, a heater which is provided in a substrate holder, and heats a substrate on a substrate holder for processing a resist film by PEB, a cooler to cool a substrate on a substrate holder, a developing solution nozzle to supply a developing solution to a substrate on a substrate holder, and a controller to control a heater, a cooler and a developing nozzle.

Abstract: A seal structure in which a sealing member 510 fitted in the seal holding part 120 is elastically deformed to hermetically seal a flow passage joining portion. The seal holding part 120 opening on a flow passage side and including a first retaining surface 121, a second retaining surface 122, and a circumferential surface 123. The sealing member 510 includes a first surface 511 in contact with the first retaining surface 121, a second surface 512 in contact with the retaining surface 122, and an inner surface 513 located inside the seal holding part 510 and tapered to have a diameter becoming smaller from the first surface 511 side to the second surface 512 side. An engagement portion 515 engaged in the seal holding part 120 is formed protruding from an outer surface 514 located on the circumferential surface 123 side and on the first surface 511 side.

Abstract: A probe method of this invention includes a step of reducing an electrode of a wafer by using a forming gas, and a step of bringing the electrode and a probe pin into contact with each other in a dry atmosphere. The probe method further includes, prior to a reducing process of an electrode of the object to be tested, placing the object to be tested in an inert gas atmosphere and heating the object to be tested. The reducing process is performed by bringing a reducing gas into contact with the electrode of the object to be tested under atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A developing apparatus has a substrate holder to hold a substrate, a heater which is provided in a substrate holder, and heats a substrate on a substrate holder for processing a resist film by PEB, a cooler to cool a substrate on a substrate holder, a developing solution nozzle to supply a developing solution to a substrate on a substrate holder, and a controller to control a heater, a cooler and a developing nozzle.

Abstract: A dielectric film capacitor includes a lower electrode having an opening and formed of a material including platinum, a dielectric film provided over the lower electrode and including an oxide having an ABOx crystal structure, and an upper electrode provided over the dielectric film. The planar area of the lower electrode is 50% or more of the area of a formation region of the dielectric film. A dielectric film capacitor includes a lower electrode formed of a material including platinum and having a thickness of 10 to 100 nm, a dielectric film provided over the lower electrode and including an oxide having an ABOx crystal structure, and an upper electrode provided over the dielectric film.

Abstract: A sample holding tool is provided with a base plate, a plurality of convex portions formed on the base plate so as to stick out from the upper face thereof; and at least one holding plate having a plurality of curved face portions corresponding to the convex portions, with a lower face concave portion of each of the curved face portions being made in contact with the tip portion of each of the convex portions, so that a sample is supported on the upper face convex portion of each of the curved face portions; thus, since the sample is supported by the curved face portion of the holding plate, the contact area to the sample is made very small so that it becomes possible to greatly reduce pointed peak portions, scratches and the like at contact portions between the sample and the curved face portions. Consequently, generation of particles due to abrasion of the sample can be reduced and the particles are reduced from intruding into scratches and voids and occasionally readhering to the sample.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has a bevel contour formed along the periphery thereof, products formed on the wafer, and an ID mark formed on the bevel contour. The ID mark shows at least the properties, manufacturing conditions, and test results of the products.